Russia Supports UN Special Envoy’s Efforts to Settle Yemeni Crisis

RIYADH/DUBAI (Sputnik) — Russia supports the efforts by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed aimed at finding a peaceful resolution of the conflict in this Arab nation, the Russian ambassador to Saudi Arabia told Sputnik.

“Russia from the very beginning has advocated and continues to back the idea of fastest cessation of hostilities and search for a political solution to the conflict [in Yemen],” Oleg Ozerov said.

According to the ambassador, peaceful and political solutions to this conflict do exist.

“Within such solutions, Russia supports the efforts by UN Special Envoy for Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, who is working very actively, including with the active support from Russia,” Ozerov added.

The situation in Yemen remains extremely unstable since the start of a military conflict in 2014 between the government forces headed by Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and the Houthi rebels, the main opposition force in the country, supported by army units loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

Since March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition of mostly Persian Gulf countries has been carrying out airstrikes against the Houthis at Hadi’s request.

In October, Cheikh Ahmed presented a settlement plan to the parties of the conflict, though both sides have rejected it.